On Being a Blue Belt...
I've been meaning to resurrect our blog for a long while, and today - after FIVE of my teammates got promoted to blue belt last week - seems like the perfect time! First of all, I'd like to once again extend a huge "congratulations" to Dawn, Tyler, Justin, Kris, and James. All five of them put a lot of time and effort into achieving this milestone, and seeing their hard work pay off was the highlight of my year so far. We had packed classes Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon, so we were able to test out their self-defense skills and put them each through 20 minutes of continuous sparring with fresh opponents every 4 to 5 minutes.
With that being said, I'd like to talk a bit about what it means to be a blue belt and what to expect. Some will say that the only purpose of a Jiu-Jitsu belt is to hold your Gi jacket closed, and while I can certainly respect that opinion, it's important to acknowledge that many people - including myself - believe it has more value than that. So here are a few things to keep in mind…
After earning your blue belt, degrees seem less significant.
Until this point, getting striped was likely your biggest milestone, outside of any competitive wins. For some white belts, receiving that extra piece of athletic tape can make all the difference between continuing in the sport and giving up. At blue belt, stripes are still great indicators of progress, but they likely won't top the massive accomplishment of earning your first colored belt. Don't be discouraged by this dulled response, and be prepared to wear your blue belt much longer than your white. Just keep going!
You ARE still improving!
We've all heard of the infamous "blue belt blues". You're a blue belt now, so you should be beating up other blue belts and never tapping to white belts, right? WRONG! Chances are, you didn't develop a boatload of new and improved skills between the day prior to earning your blue belt and the day after. Yet not everyone sees it that way during a roll.
As a new blue belt, you're the perfect sparring partner for 4th-degree white belts who are hoping to get promoted soon and want to test themselves against you. Chances are, those individuals are going to roll a bit harder with you than they did previously. Other colored belts, who are used to "going easy" on the white belts, will likely turn up the intensity. Depending on your level of self-confidence, you might misconstrue this as an indication that you are getting worse or not progressing, which - if you're still showing up to class regularly and putting in the work - simply isn't true. Being a colored belt doesn't give you superpowers, and the number of times you submit someone versus get submitted is not a reflection of your skill. You are exactly where you should be.
People will look up to you.
When I started my BJJ journey, Coach Daniel was a purple belt, and the only colored belts under him were a handful of blues. Those blue belts were my mentors, and I used them to gauge my progress ("When I'm a blue belt with one stripe like [insert name here] , that's how I'll know I'm really good at this!"). Take this opportunity to teach others who are a lower rank than you, continue to learn from those who are ranked higher than you, and keep in mind that those just starting out will see you as a source of inspiration.
Competition wins - or losses - do not accurately reflect your skill level.
Competing is hard, regardless of rank. It takes a lot to put yourself out there, both mentally and physically. As mentioned above, the vast majority of people tend to be blue belts longer than they were white belts. This means that the gap between the least and most experienced competitors and your division will widen. You, as a brand new blue belt, may end up competing against someone who has been a blue belt for four years or more. The bottom line is that you never know who is going to show up at any given competition. Be proud of your competitive accomplishments, but know that your place on the podium (if you get there at all) is dependent on more variables than just your skill level.
You might not agree with everything I listed above, and that's okay! The takeaway is this: Be proud of your accomplishment, set a good example for others, and keep training.
